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The 1527 Original Word of God In English


God's Truth To Us

 

 

The Book of Josua

or Joshua

 

Chapters 1-7 | 8-12 | 13-20 | 21-end | Next Book


 

The 21st Chapter

      And then came the principal heads of the Levites unto Eleazer the priest, and unto Josua the son of Nun and unto the ancient heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, and spake unto them at Siloh in the land of Canaan saying: the Lord commanded by Moses, to give us cities to dwell in and the fields about them, for our cattle. And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritances, at the bidding of the Lord, these cities following with their *Suburbs.
      And the lot came out unto the kindreds of the Cahathites: and the children of Aaron the priest which were of the Levites had given them by lot, out of the tribe of Juda, out of the tribe of Simeon, out of the tribe of Beniamin, thirteen cities. And the rest of the children of Cahath had by lot, out of the kindreds of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasses ten cities. And the children of Gerson had by lot out of the kindreds of the tribe of Isacar out of the tribe of Aser, out of the tribe of Nephthali and out of the other half tribe of Manasses in Basan, thirteen cities. And the children of Merari by their kindreds, had out of the tribe of Ruben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zabulon, twelve cities. And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their *Suburbs as the Lord commanded by Moses.
      And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Juda, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities by name: which the children of Aaron being of the kindreds of the Cahathites, and of the children of Levi, obtained: for theirs was the first lot. And they gave them Kariath Arba of the father of Enack, which is Hebron, in the hill country of Juda, with the *Suburbs of the same round about it. But the country that pertained to the city and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephune, to be his possession.
      And thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest the franchised cities of the slayer, Hebron with her Suburbs: and Libna with her Suburbs, and Jathir with her Suburbs, and Estimoa with her Suburbs, and Holon with her Suburbs, and Dabir with her Suburbs, and Ain with her Suburbs, and Jutah with her Suburbs, and Bethsames with her Suburbs: nine cities out of those two tribes. And out of the tribe of Benjamin they gave Gabaon with her Suburbs: Gaba with her Suburbs: Anatoth with her Suburbs: Almon with her suburbs: four cities. All these cities of the children of Aaron priests were thirteen cities with their Suburbs. And the kindreds of the children of Cahath that were Levities: that is to say the other children of Cahath had the cities of their lot, out of the tribe of Ephraim. And they gave them the free city of the slayer: Sichem with her Suburbs, in mount Ephraim: and Gazer with her Suburbs: and Kabzaim with her Suburbs: Bethhoron with her Suburbs: four cities. And out of the tribe of Dan: Eltheke with her Suburbs: Gibthon with Suburbs: Ailaon with her Suburbs, and Gathremon with her Suburbs: four cities. And out of the half tribe of Manasses, Thanach with her Suburbs: Gathremon with her Suburbs: two cities. So that all the cities which were given unto the kindreds of the other children of Cahath, were ten with their Suburbs.
      And unto the children of Gerson which were of the kindreds of the Levites, they gave out of the other half tribe of Manasses, the city of refuge for the slayer, Golan in Basan with her Suburbs: Beestherah with her Suburbs: two cities. And out of the tribe of Isacar, Kision with her Suburbs: Daberath with Suburbs: Jarimoth with her Suburbs: Enganim with her Suburbs: four cities. And out of the tribe of Aser, Miseal with her Suburbs: Abdon with her Suburbs, Halakath with her Suburbs: Rohob with her Suburbs: four cities. And out of the tribe of Nephthali, the city of refuge for the slayer, Kedes in Galile, with her Suburbs: Halmothdor, with her Suburbs: Carthan with her Suburbs: three cities. So that all the cities of the Gersonites in their kindreds were thirteen with their Suburbs.
      And unto the kindreds of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, gave out of the tribe of Zabulon: Jeenam with her Suburbs: Carthah with her Suburbs, Damna with her Suburbs, and Nahalal with her Suburbs: four cities. And out of the tribe of Ruben, they gave Bozor with her Suburbs: Jahesah with her Suburbs, Kedmoth with her Suburbs, and Naphaath with her suburbs: four cities. And out of the tribe of Gad, they gave the franchised city of the slayer, Romoth in Galaad with her suburbs, Mahanaim with her suburbs, Hesbon with her suburbs: and Jaser with her suburbs: four cities in all, so that all the cities of the children of Merari in their kindreds, which were the of the kindreds of the Levites, were by their lot, twelve cities. And all the cities that the Levites had in the possession of the children of Israel were forty eight with their Suburbs. And these cities had each their Suburbs round about her throughout all the said cities. And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers. And they conquered it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave the rest round about according to all that he sware unto their fathers. So that there stood not a man of all their enemies before them. But the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands. There escaped nothing of all the good things which the Lord had said unto the house of Israel. But all came to pass.

 

*cap S as recorded

 

 

 

The 22nd Chapter

      Then Josua called unto the Rubenites, the Gaddites and to the half tribe of Manasses and said unto them: ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord hath commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: ye have not left your brethren of a long season unto this day but have kept the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord hath given rest unto your brethren as he promised them. Wherefore return and go unto your tents and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan. But in any wise take exceeding good heed that ye do the commandment and law which Moses the servant of the lord charged you: which is, that ye love the Lord your God, and walk in his ways and keep his commandments, and cleave unto him, and serve him with all your hearts and all your souls. And so Josua blessed them and sent them away. And they went unto their tents.
      Unto the one half of the tribe of Manasses Moses gave possession in Basan: and unto the other half thereof gave Josua with their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And also when Josua sent them away unto their tents and blessed them, he said unto them, return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, gold, brass, iron, and with raiment above measure, and divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
      And the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and half the tribe of Manasses, returned and departed from the children of Israel out of Siloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Galaad, and to the land of their possession, wherein they were possessed at the mouth of the Lord by the hand of Moses. And when they came unto the coasts of Jordan that lie in the land of Canaan: there the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasses, built an altar fast by Jordan and that a great altar to see too. And when the children of Israel heard say: behold the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasses have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan in the borders of Jordan on the side of the children of Israel: the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered them together to Siloh, to go upon them with battle. And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Ruben, to the children of Gad and unto the half tribe of Manasses into the land of Galaad, Phinehes the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten lords of every chief house a lord throughout all the tribes of Israel, which heads of their fathers households were over the thousands of Israel. And they went unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasses, unto the land of Galaad and spake with them saying:
      Thus say the whole congregation of the Lord: what transgression is this that ye have transgressed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from after the Lord and to build you an altar for to rebel this day against the Lord? Is the wicked deed of Peor too little for us, whereof we are not cleansed unto this day, and there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord: But that ye also should turn away this day from following the Lord: ye shall rebel today against the Lord, and tomorrow he shall be wroth with all the congregation. Notwithstanding if the land of your possession be unclean, then come over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, where the Lords tabernacle dwelleth, and be possessed among us. But rebel not against the Lord nor against us, to build you any other altar save the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Acan the son of Zareh trespass in the excommunicate things, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel, so that he alone perished not for his wickedness?
      Then the children of Ruben and of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses answered and said unto the heads over the thousands of Israel: The mighty God Jehovah he knoweth, and Israel shall know if it be to rebel or transgress against the Lord, then the Lord save us not this day. Or else if we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord, or to offer theron burntofferings or meatofferings, or to offer peaceofferings theron: let the Lord require it. And have not rather done it for fear of this: lest in time to come your children should say unto ours: what have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel, saying: that the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have no part therefore in the Lord: and so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord.
      And therefore we said: Let us cause an altar to be made, not for burntofferings, nor sacrifices, but it shall be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we should serve the Lord, with our offerings, sacrifices and peaceofferings: and that your children should not say to ours in time to come, ye have no part in the Lord.
      And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our generations in time to come, that we would say again: Behold the fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for burntofferings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness between us and you. God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burntofferings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the Lord, our God that is before his tabernacle.
      And when Phinehes the Priest and the Lords of the congregation and heads over the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the children of Manasses spake, they were well content. And Phinehes the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and of Manasses, this day we perceive that the Lord is among us, because ye have not done this trespass against the Lord. And now ye have rid children of Israel out of the hands of the Lord.
      And Phinehes the son of Eleazar the priest and the lords returned from the children of Ruben and of Gad out of the land of Galaad unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. And the answer pleased the children of Israel well, and they praised God, and did not intend to go against them in battle, to destroy the land which the children of Ruben and Gad dwelt in. And the children of Ruben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, because it is a witness between us, that the Lord is God.

 

 

 

The 23rd Chapter

     And it came to pass a long season after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Josua waxed old and was stricken in years. Wherefore he sent for all Israel and for their elders, their heads, their Judges and officers, and said unto them: I am old and stricken in years. And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations before your faces: for the Lord your God he fought for you. Behold, I have appointed these nations that remain, to be the inheritance of your tribes: even from Jordan, and all the nations that I have destroyed, even unto the great *Sea. And the Lord your God shall expel and cast them out before you, and ye shall conquer their lands, as the lord your God hath said unto you.
      Be therefore exceeding strong that ye take heed to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye bow not aside therefrom, to the right hand or to the left: and that ye go not unto these nations that remain with you: and that ye neither make mention or swear by the names of their Gods: and that ye neither serve them nor bow yourselves unto them. But that ye stick fast unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day. So shall the Lord cast out before you great nations and mighty, as ye see how no man hath stand before you hitherto. One of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God he fighteth for you, as he hath said unto you. Take good heed therefore unto your souls, that ye love the Lord your God.
      But and if ye shall go back and cleave unto the rest of these nations that remain with you and shall make Marriages with them, and shall go to them and they come to you: be sure that the Lord your God will riot cast out all these nations before you. But they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges for your sides, and pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.
      Behold I walk this day, by the way of all the world: call ye to mind in all your hearts and in all your souls, that nothing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised you. All are come to pass, and nothing hath failed thereof. And as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you: so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil until he have destroyed you from off this good land, which the Lord your God hath given you when ye have transgressed the appointment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you: and have gone and served strange Gods, and bowed yourselves to them. Then shall the wrath of the Lord wax hot upon you, and ye shall perish quickly, from off the good land which he hath given you.

 

*See: capital S as in original.

 

 

 

The 24th Chapter

      And Josua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Sichem, and called for elders of Israel, and for their heads, Judges and officers which presented themselves before God. And Josua said unto all the people, thus saith the Lord God of Israel. Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time even Thareh the father of Abraham and Nachor, and served strange Gods. But I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and brought him into the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau. And I gave unto Esau mount Seir to possess it. But Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
      Then I sent Moses and Aaron. And I plagued Egypt, after the manner as I did among them, and after that I brought you out and I brought your fathers out of Egypt. And ye came unto the sea: and the Egyptians followed after your fathers with chariots and horsemen, unto the red sea. And they cried unto the Lord. And he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them. And your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt. And ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. And I brought you into the land of the Amorites which dwelt on the other side Jordan. And they fought with you: and I gave them into your hands. And ye conquered their country. And I destroyed them in your sight.
      Then Balak the son of Ziphor, King of Moab arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balam the son of Beor for to curse you. But I would not agree to hearken unto Balam, and therefore he blessed you: And so I delivered you out of his hand. And when ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho, the citizens of Jericho fought against you: the Amorites, Pheresites, Cananites, Hethites, Girgosites, Hevites, Jebusites which I delivered into your hands.
      And I sent hornets before you and ye cast out before you: even the two Kings of the Amorites: but not with your own sword or with your own bow. And I gave you a land in which ye did not labor, and cities which you built not, and ye dwelt in them. And vines, and Olive trees which ye planted not, and ye ate of them.
      And now fear the Lord and serve him in pureness and truth: And put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, then choose you this day, whom you will serve: whether the Gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, either the Gods of the Amorites in whose land, ye dwelt, and I and my house will serve the Lord.
      And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord and serve strange Gods. For the Lord our God he it is that brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage, and which did those miracles in our sight, and preserved us in all the way we went and among all the nations which we came through. And the Lord did cast out before us all the nations with the Amorites which dwelt in the land, wherefore we will serve the Lord for he is our God.
      But Josua said unto the people, ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God and cannot bear your transgression and sin. But when ye have forsaken the Lord and have served strange Gods, he will turn and do you evil and consume you, after that he hath done you good. And the people answered Josua: nay, but we will serve the Lord.
      Then Josua said unto the folk, ye are witnesses unto yourselves, that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him: and they said we are witnesses. Then put away, said he, the strange Gods which are among you, and bow your hearts unto the Lord God of Israel. And the people answered Josua: the Lord our God we will serve and his voice we will obey. And so Josua made a covenant with the people the same day and set ordinances and laws before them in Sichem.
      And Josua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone and pitched it on end in the said place even under an oak that stood in the sanctuary of the Lord. And Josua said unto all the people: behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake with us. It shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye lie unto your God. And so Josua let the people depart every man unto his inheritance.
      And after these things the time came that Josua the son of Nun and the servant of the Lord died being an hundred and ten years old. Whom they buried in the country of his inheritance, even in Thamnath sareh which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaas.
      And Israel served the Lord all the days of Josua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Josua, and which had seen all the works of the Lord that he had done to Israel. And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought out of Egypt, they buried in Sichem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hemor the father of Sichem, for an hundred pieces of silver, which parcel became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. And Eleazar the son of Aaron died whom they buried in Gabaath that pertained to Phinehes his son and was given him in Mount Ephraim.

 

The end of the book of Josua

 

Chapters 1-7 | 8-12 | 13-20 | 21-end | Next Book


 

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